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Tammy Lane shares the following results from her receiving a MSTF mini-grant:

“I have purchased a computer program to supplement language skills in my curriculum. Here are my students using the new program, and they love it as much as I do. Thank you so much for choosing me as the winner in December!”

Melvin Gateley was a retired lifetime member and a past president of the Missouri State Teachers Association. In his memory, the family has established this memorial fund with the Missouri State Teachers Foundation. Donation’s made to this fund will be used to support education and educators in the state of Missouri.

Paparazzi Accessories provides lead-free and nickel free accessories for $5 per piece. Please consider reaching out to these Paparazzi distributors that fundraised $250 or more for MSTF in our pilot program that is raising donations that will support the Missouri State Teachers Association’s Future Teachers of America and New Professionals programs as well as the rest of MSTF’s funding priorities.

Click here to learn more or to join this group in supporting Missouri educators.

Shown left to right: Maggie Stiegman, Leigh Chapman

The Missouri State Teachers Foundation Board of Directors held a fundraiser at the Missouri State Teachers Association Leadership Symposium on July 18, 2016 at Tan-Tar-a, Lake Ozark. Members attending the Leadership event donated to the Foundation to take a chance on winning over $500 worth of prizes on the board and to learn more about what the Foundation provided in services. The fundraiser generated a lot of buzz in the hall and was fun for those playing! The Board raised over $1,000 for the Foundation, which will help go towards future goals and support current programs. We thank everyone who participated and donated to the Foundation!

Thanks to the generous support of MSTF’s donors, the Missouri State Teachers Foundation was able to help educators at Augusta Elementary recover from a fire that destroyed their Library earlier that year through the HOPE Initiative. Teachers shared stories of how despite the fire being contained to the Library section of the school, smoke damage affected every part of the building. The HOPE Initiative was designed to help educators replace items they had personally purchased for teaching that were ruined in a disaster. MSTF was able to provide funds to help 13 educators in Augusta.

No one knows when a disaster will strike. The Missouri State Teachers Foundation depends on generous gifts from donors to make sure we are ready to step in and help teachers recover when a disaster affects their school community. Please consider making a fully tax-deductible gift to the Missouri State Teachers Foundation and help bring HOPE to a teacher in need. Click here to donate to MSTF.

MSTF Board of Directors announced the awardees of the grants. Brenna Staats, Mt. Vernon School District, was awarded a $1,000 grant for her project “What I Need (WIN).” Christy Lockard, Sheldon R-VII School District, was also awarded a $1,000 grant for her project “Dave Ramsey Foundations Curriculum.” In April of 2015 the Board also awarded the Kent King Scholarships to S-MSTA members across the state. The scholarship awardees were Sara Meskis (University of Missouri Columbia), Anna Pageler (Evangel), Rhianon Brown (Drury Unversity), and Krista Crockett (College of the Ozarks). Each member will receive a $500 check to use as needed to offset the cost of living during the student teaching semester.

The MSTF Board of Directors issued monies from the HOPE fund to the Prairie Home school district following storm damage to the school. The Board also discussed ideas on how to begin a donor-matching program so that MSTA members can donate items that need to be replaced due to damage. The Board discussed plans on creating an online application of need to make the application and approval of funds easier and faster to distribute.

The MSTA Board of Directors revised the structure of the Missouri State Teachers Foundation and the new Board met in February. The new MSTF Board of Directors will be comprised of 2-3 MSTA Board of Director members, 3-4 MSTA at-large members, and 1-2 non-education business members. Currently there are five Board members, including the President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. During the first meeting, the new Board focused on what the purpose of the Foundation would be and how a new mission statement would reflect that focus. At the most recent meetings, it was determined that the MSTF Board would like to focus on literacy.

The MSTF Board of Directors has also made changes to the grant and scholarship application with the hope that the deadlines are timelier for members and that the application process is clearer. Both applications are available on the website, and the Kent King Scholarhship application will also be available on the S-MSTA website. The Board also plans on having online applications available in the future.